Guidelines Based On Love Adhering and Advocating God's Guidance on Same Sex Relationships If we love God, we have no choice but to adhere to and advocate his commands – even on in this controversial contemporary issue of sexual relationships and marriage of individuals of the same sex - or be guilty ourselves of loving the praise of men more than the praise of God. - This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3, New International Version
- …for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:43, New International Version
Fellowship Requires Guidelines God created man and desired to have a fellowship with man that would allow for the unconstrained sharing of God’s love. As part of this desire for fellowship and based on his providing man the freedom to make choices, God felt the need to establish guidelines that if followed could ensure the unbroken fellowship between himself and man. The initial guideline provided by God to man was the guidance not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. - And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16-17, New International Version
Adam and Eve initially broke this guideline, a guideline based completely on God’s love for man, as they did eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of the breaking of this guideline, Adam and Eve – and mankind as a whole - were no longer able to experience the unconstrained sharing of God’s love. As God desired to reestablish a fellowship with man that would allow for the unconstrained sharing of God’s love, he first needed to overcome the consequences that he had established for the man’s breaking of his guidelines – those consequences being “death” – or eternal separation from God. With this payment and restoration in mind, God sent his son, Jesus, who by his life and death accepted the consequences for man’s breaking of God’s initial guideline. - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, New International Version
While God has reestablished man’s ability to have a fellowship with him – a fellowship that would allow for the unconstrained sharing of God’s love – he also has continued to provide guidelines to help man maintain that fellowship with him. - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9, New International Version
One of the guideline areas provided by God to ensure we maintain fellowship with him specifically calls out what is acceptable behavior in the arena of sexual and marital relationships. Gender Guidelines for Sex and Marriage God, in his desire for fellowship and his desire to share his unconstrained love with man, felt it necessary provide guidance against sexual relationships by individuals of the same sex. Exemplified in the following scriptural references, this guidance demonstrates that sexual activity among partners of the same sex, regardless of their relationship, falls short of God’s expectations and thus prevents true fellowship with God: - The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.” Genesis 19:1-7, New International Version
- Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. Leviticus 18:22, New International Version
- If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. Leviticus 20:13a, New International Version
- Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Romans 1:26-27, New International Version
- Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, New International Version
Additionally, God, in his desire for fellowship and his desire to share his unconstrained love with man, felt it also necessary to provide guidance against marital relationships by individuals of the same sex. When God created a helper for Adam, he created Eve, a woman who became Adam's wife. Within the context of this “male/female” relationship, Adam and Eve become “one flesh”. - So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘ for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:20-24, New International Version
This “one flesh” mentioned in Genesis 2:20-24 appears to display God’s acceptance of both the united (marital) relationship (male/female) and the sexual act between the individuals (male/female) within that united (marital) relationship. Understanding God’s view of sexual relations between individuals of the same sex and his design of the “united” relationship between man and woman was one that included acceptable sexual relations within a proper covenant relationship (marriage), one must logically conclude that God does not condone same sex marriages. These relationship guidelines and God’s acceptance of them are provided simplistically in mathematical format below: - Male + Female + (Marriage + Sex) = Acceptable
- Male + Female + Sex - Marriage = Unacceptable
- Male + Male + (Marriage + Sex) = Unacceptable
- Male + Male + Sex - Marriage = Unacceptable
- Female + Female + (Marriage + Sex) = Unacceptable
- Female + Female + Sex - Marriage = Unacceptable
- Marriage = (Marriage + Sex) = Sex Designed By God As A Component Of Marriage
When one considers that God desires fellowship with man, and that he paid the ultimate price of sacrificing his only Son to restore the potential for fellowship between himself and man, one has to believe God has man’s best interest in mind when he provides guidelines on what is acceptable in his eyes. These guidelines may be difficult to comprehend from our station in life; however, if we truly love God with our whole heart, we must follow his guidelines. Following these guidelines ensures we fully experience the richness of the relationship he desires with us and the relationships he designed us to have with our fellow man.
9:32:41 AM 
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